waiting

[wey-ting]

noun

1. a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

adjective

1. serving or being in attendance.

   waiting man;

   waiting maid;

   waiting woman.

Other Word Forms

• waitingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of waiting¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun); wait, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in waiting, in attendance, as upon a royal personage.

Example Sentences

It's my girlfriend's first ever concert and I've been waiting five years to see her.

Read more on BBC

Yes, by waiting to claim Social Security, I’ll get paid more, because I’m closer to death.

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Incredibly, researchers estimate that there are potentially up to 600 new species still waiting to be described from the voyage.

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Images widely shared on social media highlight the rowdy lines at petrol stations in Bamako, with people waiting for hours.

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“We’ve been living in fear for so long, waiting for the next bomb to come, to lose another friend. But I also know the war isn’t over yet.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessible 
• apt 
• handy 
• qualified 
• ripe